Fraud: Make Sure You Don't Get Taken Advantage Of

It is time to face the fact, we live in a world were people are deceitful, dishonest, and are willing to defraud others for their own benefit. A friend of mine is getting married in two weekends and received a notice in the mail that stated, "Due to unfortunate circumstances the wedding site previously booked is unavailable. Please call 555-5555 to reschedule." Reschedule a wedding, are you kidding!?! After meeting with the owner of the company, my friend found out that the salesman who booked their wedding site was leaving the company and was intentionally defrauding people. Based on this situation, there are some very important lessons to be learned so you are not taken advantage of.

Throughout the conversation with the business owner, whom I will leave unnamed to protect his company, many mistakes were revealed which would have protected people from being taken advantage of. First, customers were paying their down payment for the rental site in cash. This is a huge mistake, especially when no documentation of the amount paid is provided, and an easy way for someone to defraud you. Paying by check or credit provides a paper trail; if something should go wrong, there is proof as to how much was paid and you can easily get a copy of the check or receipt from the bank. If the fraudulent activity happens within 60 days of the credit transaction, the bank will allow you to fill out a dispute form and you can get all or most of your money back depending on the situation and your local financial institution.

Another mistake people were making was to whom they were making their check payable to. In many cases, the checks were being made payable to the fraudulent salesman rather than the company with which they were doing business. The salesman was then cashing these individuals checks and stealing the money, not applying it to the down payment for their site rental. Being taken advantage of this way offers no recourse for the person who was defrauded. The salesman has every right to cash the check made payable to him and the only way to be protected is to put a stop payment on the check PRIOR to it being cashed. In this case, that would be nearly impossible for the person being defrauded as by the time they were aware of the situation, the fraudulent salesman would have been long gone with the money.

A third way these people were being taken advantage of by this fraudulent salesman was by paying for the site rental in full, upfront, rather than just paying the required down payment. The salesman was asking for the entire amount by cash or check made payable to him. Rather than paying $1000 down payment for the site, the customers were paying for the entire amount and therefore loosing a huge sum of money. This salesman was very good at taking advantage of people and an expert at defrauding them without their knowledge.

It is very important to be wise with your money. Whether it is a wedding site, pieces of equipment, or a service you are purchasing, do not get caught up in the story of the salesman. Remember, not only is it a salesman who is trying sell you, but he/she may not have your best interest at heart and may indeed be trying to defraud you. Always pay in such a way that you have a paper trail or at minimum a receipt. Make sure to make the payment to the company's name, never leave it blank for someone else to fill in. Only pay the minimum amount required until the services are received or complete in full. Be smart so that you are not one of the countless people who are taken advantage of by the fraudulent people in our society.